미주한인 5개단체 정부-언론에 질의문전달

 

 

 

                                      Ben Kustow 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   한인질의문

 

 

 

 

 

Dear President Obama and the Members of U.S. Senate:

 

We, Saseamo, Korean-Americans for better world-Seattle, are deeply shocked by the recent sinking of a naval ship in the Republic of Korea.

Even though the cause of the sinking has been declared as a torpedo from North Korea's midget size submarine by a group of multi-national investigators sponsored by ROK, we are very much concerned that the government of Republic of Korea and its investigation reports did not provide enough key evidences to prove their accusation to pointing fingers at North Korea. We believe the blame is premature using on-ly the section of recovered torpedo thought to be used by North that is not even sure when it was made. This has created an unnecessary tension between the two Koreas and the government of ROK may be trying to use this security threat to gain some leverages on the upcoming local election.



The government of U.S has already stated to give its support by a Whitehouse spokesperson and through the group of multi-national investigators on the Korean government's investigative report and the Senate Armed Services Committee has adopted a similar resolution. We are very alarmed and concerned about this. This is clearly a setback to democracy in South Korea and the United States is unexpectedly helping them by the action. This type of action by US has made us wonder more on many suspected questions we had in relations to the sinking Cheonan.

When the South Korean naval ship Cheonan was sinking, both Navies of South Korea and the United States were in the middle of the joint training exercise "Key Resolve", that was held in close proximity to the accident scene. It is very hard to imagine that the U.S., which is considered to have the world's strongest military and capabilities of gathering information have received no information link to the causes of sinking Cheonan.

We have the following questions:

1. Why has the United States remained silent on factual issues and decided to support South Korean government's decision to condemn North Korea? The US has a big responsibility to come forward with truth because the US Joint coalition commander still has its wartime military command control in Korea.

2. After the sinking of Cheonan, a Korean Navy diver, Warrant officer Han Joo-ho, died during a search dive. The searched area by Han Joo-ho was not the place （1st buoy） where the bow section was found, nor the place （2nd buoy） where the stern was found. Rather, it was a place （3rd buoy） that seems to have no relations to Cheonan and located between first two buoys about six kilo meters away. According to the KBS television report on April 7, an object was lifted from that point and was carried by a U.S. military Seahawk helicopter to the U.S.N. frigate Silo.

a. Does the object removed provide any insights into the causes of the sinking of the Cheonan?

b. Does the dispatch of the LSD, Harpers Ferry, from Japan to the area have anything to do with managing the evidence that could have revealed the real cause of the sinking?

c. Why did the US Ambassador and the Commander of Joint Korea and US Coalition forces attend the funeral service of Chief Warrant Officer Han Joo-ho? Why did they make an unprecedented visit to an obscure Baengnyeong Island, which is located near the sinking incident?

3. There have been several collisions of U.S. Submarines with other vessels in the Pacific, and suspicions around this possibility increased when the Virginia class nuclear powered submarine, Hawaii, on-e of U.S. submarines known to participated in the joint naval exercises in that area, has been dry docked soon after the accident. Is this dry docking related to the sinking of the Cheonan?

4. According to the federal regulations, raising half staff of U.S. flags in federal offices at both domestic and overseas other than observed holidays should on-ly be done by a directive from the current president sitting in office. But the U.S. Embassy in Korea had flown half staff of US flags much longer than Korean government did, and if so, it makes us wonder what the real reason is for the U.S Embassy in Korea raising half staff of US flags for so long? on the contrary, in the past funeral periods for six people who were killed in the West Sea skirmish with North Korea, the United States has not flown half staff that long as they did this time.

We look forward to your answers to the above questions. We believe that releasing the details of a credible investigation and openly sharing the result will help all of us come closer to a more peaceful world.

Very truly yours,

Saseamo, Korean-Americans for better world-Seattle